CH 5.2

Apr 28 2022

Catching a Thief

He quickly let go of his hand, then turned his head and began to gesture at Chang Hao what happened.

Chang Hao looked at his brother’s gesture, nodded from time to time, his face flashed with anger. Grandpa Chang also looked at the kneeling man with disgust.

Chang Le thinks you’re quite a cute person for reading on ho lo lo novels.

The villagers couldn’t understand Chang Le’s gestures, but they could understand the expressions of the grandfather and grandson, and their faces suddenly became solemn. The expressions of Wen Li and that Huzi, who were originally hanging around to watch the fun, also changed.

This person must have done something bad.

After a while, Chang Le stopped. The villagers looked at Chang Hao.

Chang Hao turned his head, pointed at the man, and said to everyone, “The village chief, uncles and Amas, my brother said, this man was going to steal the cattle!”

(T/N: ama = auntie)

What? Steal cows?

Cows are their most precious possession! There are 40 or 50 households in the whole village, adding up to only a total of 8 cattle. Except for the three large households, each of which has a cattle, several other households have joined together to buy cattle, and many households can’t afford it!

For a farmer, ploughing the fields, pulling the mills and goods, all count on the cattle, and this man was going to steal the cattle!

The villagers were angered and glared at the man.

“Send him to the officials! Such a person should be jailed for the rest of his life!

“Yes! Send him to the government!”

Stealing cattle is a felony.

When the triangular-eyed man heard this, he became anxious and hurriedly denied it.

“Nonsense! I didn’t steal a cow! I was, I was…” The man was in a hurry and couldn’t find an excuse for a long time, and said, “I just saw a snake in the water and helped the cowherder to bring the cow bac! Yes, that’s right, that’s what happened!”

When everyone heard his stammering words and saw his guilty expression and eyes, they didn’t need to ask again.

It is obvious he was going to steal the cattle.

With a solemn expression on his face, the village chief asked Chang Hao cautiously, “How did it happen? Explain it clearly.”

Chang Hao replied: “My brother came early in the afternoon. When he just crossed the creek to the intersection, the man was pulling the rope of the buffalo in the pool, and the buffalo had already been brought ashore by him. If he hadn’t seen my brother coming, he would have driven the cow away! When my brother saw that he didn’t know him, he walked over. This man ran away when he saw my brother, and my brother chased him all the way here and caught him!” The village chief felt nervous when he heard the ‘buffalo in the water pool’ at the intersection. Isn’t that his buffalo!

Chang Le thinks you’re quite a cute person for reading on ho lo lo novels.

“Nonsense! I didn’t steal cattle!” The triangular-eyed man never thought that the mute would be able to say this, and he never thought that the little brat would translate it right. But he must not admit this crime, otherwise the rest of his life will be over. He struggled desperately, trying to break free, he had to leave quickly.

“Be honest!” Although Yu Qingze’s left foot was injured, it did not affect his skills. He pressed the man down again, “If you didn’t steal, why run away! What’s the panic! Are you guilty of being a thief?”

That is, if you didn’t steal than why ran! The villagers were in full agreement.

Chang Hao snorted coldly, pointed towards the intersection, and said to the village chief, “Village chief uncle, what he wants to steal is your big water buffalo. Look, my brother’s basket is still there.”

Everyone looked over. In the pool next to the intersection, a cow was seen, and there was indeed a load of baskets on the side of the road. After it was freed, the cow retreated back into the pool to enjoy the coolness, with only one head exposed, soaking in a comfortable bath, without the slightest sense of danger that it was almost stolen.

Village chief confirmed that it was his own water buffalo, and he was also angry.

He glared at his third son, who couldn’t even look after the bull, what’s the use of asking him to keep an eye in the first place!

The third son knew that he was in trouble. He was initially hiding behind the crowd and now stared at by his father, his body shook. He’s going to be beaten today.

The evidence is conclusive, and there are both personal and physical evidence. The village chief waved his hand, “Tie him up and send him to the government!”

Several men immediately found a rope and tied the cattle thief firmly. When he was about to be sent off to the government, Chang Le suddenly remembered that the cow thief was carrying a big bag before he tried to escape, so he pulled his brother’s clothes and told him.

“Wait.” Chang Hao stopped the village chief and the others, and said, “My brother said that the big sack over there belongs to this person.”

A villager slipped over the bag by the pool, opened it, and found that half of the bag was cut off by a knife.

Chang Le thinks you’re quite a cute person for reading on ho lo lo novels.

“Wow, this little thief, not only steals cattle, but also steals millet!”

A few villagers couldn’t help but rushed up and kicked the cattle thief a few times. If they didn’t kick, they would not be able to relieve their anger!

Among them is that Huzi. He was thinking of how he saw some of the rice stalks in his own field were cut off. It turned out to be this thief!

The cow thief shrank, thinking straight in his heart that he was really unlucky to meet a mute ger, who was awfully strong. He originally wanted to steal some millet, and he stole half a bag. When he saw the buffalo in the water pool and the cow herder falling asleep, he couldn’t control his greed. Unexpectedly, he was caught.

The cow thief thought he could never recover in his life.

The village chief brought a few men to carry the cattle thief around to the government. Chang Le went with him as a witness, and Chang Hao also went with him as an interpreter.

Grandpa Chang was worried for the two grandsons and also wanted to go together, but Chang Le stopped him. It takes more than an hour to go back and forth to the county seat, and they still don’t know how long the process would take. Grandpa is old, and Chang Le was reluctant to let him run around.

So, Grandpa Chang and Yu Qingze stayed behind to thresh the millet. Without two laborers, the two did not finish the field, but there was only one plot to deal with tomorrow. Chang Le didn’t go home, so the threshing machine was left in the field.

Chang brothers came back very late, it was already past 9 o’clock in the evening.

The family saved dinner for them, and Chang Hao told the story of their trip to the yamen while eating, his little face was very excited.

He entered the county government for the first time in his life, and it was even to punish the bad guy as a very important translator! Very proud.

Chang Le was eating, watching his brother helplessly, shaking his head and smiling.

According to Chang Hao, the cattle thief wanted to run away on the road, but was chased by the villagers a few steps and kicked down. Later, afraid that he would act up again, Chang Le personally held onto the prisoner directly to the county office.

When he got to court, the cow thief refused to admit his guilt and bluntly said that he was framed by the mute. After Chang Le made a gesture, Chang Hao translated it again, the county magistrate verified the testimony one by one, and gave the cattle thief a few beatings into speaking honestly.

Chang Le thinks you’re quite a cute person for reading on ho lo lo novels.

“Grandpa, Big Brother Yu, you don’t know, that cattle thief was really bad.” Chang Hao paused and swallowed a mouthful of rice, stalling to intensify others’ interest.

Yu Qingze asked cooperatively, “Why do you say so?”

Chang Hao then told them very kindly, “The cow thief turned out to be a habitual thief. This is not the first time for him. He has robbed all the villages in this area recently, and he took advantage of everyone’s sleep at night time or while people napping at noon. Cutting people’s rice stalks. According to his confession, he has already stolen seven or eight bales of millet! Before that, he was imprisoned for a year for stealing things.”

Grandpa Chang and Yu Qingze were both surprised that they had caught a habitual thief.

“That’s right! The magistrate even praised my brother!” Chang Hao proudly raised his chest, as if he was the one who was praised.

Grandpa Chang and Yu Qingze looked at him funny, Chang Le patted his brother angrily. Let you squeak!

Yu Qingze teased him: “Really, how did they praise?”

Chang Hao ignored his brother’s slap, his face became solemn, his hands were flat on his lap, his face was serious in an instant, and he lowered his voice to imitate the magistrate: “Niutou Village Chang Le is very good at catching thieves. According to the law, he will be given monetary reward.”

He imitated well and made people laugh. However, the county government actually rewarded the money! Grandpa Chang and Yu Qingze were quite surprised.

Over there, Chang Le put down the tableware, took out a cloth bag from his pocket, put it on the table, opened it, and the copper coins were seen inside.

The amount can easily cover the expenses of ordinary farmers for half a year.

Waiting for everyone to appreciate and have fun, Chang Le wrapped the money and handed it to Grandpa Chang.

Grandpa Chang waved his hand and let Chang Le put it away with a smile.

Chang Hao finished talking, and said to Grandpa Chang, “Grandpa, the village chief said that we can use his cattle in the future, so I will go to his house and borrow it later.”

Grandpa Chang smiled and said, “That’s fine, we can plow the fields faster in the future.”

Chang Le caught the thief, got praise, and got bonuses, everyone was very happy.

Yu Qingze looked at the wooden board in his hand and thought his plan had to be sped up.